2024-2025 ASHRAE High School Design Competition Register
Overview | Owner’s Requirements | Design Guidelines | Abbreviations and Definitions | Design Resources | Submission Requirements | Judging Criteria | Timeline | Awards
Questions? Submit them here
Congratulations to the 2023-2024 ASHRAE High School Design Competition Winners!
1st Place: East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2nd Place: A. J. Dimond High School, Anchorage, Alaska
3rd Place: Mayoor High School, Noida, India
Welcome to the world of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) design. This competition will expose students to the process that designers and engineers go through when developing building systems and provides the opportunity to take the first steps in designing a building’s HVAC system. ASHRAE is a global engineering society that supports the HVAC industry. To learn more about ASHRAE please go to ashrae.org.
As you work through this competition you will use an engineering design process that will involve systematic problem-solving with criteria and constraints. This process is used to develop multiple solutions to the problem described, and then require you to narrow those possible solutions to find one final solution for your design.
Owner requirements, design assumptions, a general building description, heating loads, equipment information, necessary equations, and ductwork sizing information is provided to assist you in your design efforts.
Competition Objective:
The 2024-2025 ASHRAE High School Design Competition focuses on the design of a residential building located in Los Angeles, California, US. Students may select to design a house, condo, apartment, or other residential building type inspired by a residential building from a TV show or movie of their choice.
Participants in this competition are tasked to determine summer cooling requirements for the different spaces in the building, select the HVAC equipment to be installed, and model the building and systems utilizing 3D Design Software.
Owner’s Requirements
Building and Space Descriptions
“ Home” is a residential style building located in Los Angeles, CA. The home is a new construction building for a family, inspired by the set of a TV Show or movie. The home will have a dedicated heating and cooling system and shall comprise of one kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom, one living room, one dining area, and one office space.
- Kitchen: The kitchen will contain one of each of the following: 1 microwave, 1 oven, 1 dishwasher, 1 refrigerator, and 1 coffee maker. The kitchen must be at least 100 square feet (SF).
- Bedrooms: The home shall include (2) bedrooms; (1) primary bedroom and (1) additional bedroom.
- Living Room: The living room will contain room for seating and 1 TV. Furniture layout of the living room should be inspired by the set of your chosen TV Show or movie.
- Dining Room: Ideally located next to the kitchen and space for four people to sit and eat during lunch and dinner.
- Office: A dedicated office space with 1 computer is also required
- Restroom: Provide (1) toilet fixture, (1) shower, and (1) sink for the centrally located restroom
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Considerations
Occupants in residential spaces typically spend the majority of their time in their home. Designing for improved Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is crucial for the comfort, health, and well-being of the residents. Many residences in nearby areas are older homes, and a common complaint of the residents are that the HVAC equipment was in the attic space, many times above the bedrooms, and made a lot of noise. Show in your model where you would recommend locating the equipment to reduce noise concerns. Describe and show ceiling heights, duct work, locations, furniture layouts, and types of HVAC equipment provided.
Another request from the future home-owner is to provide ample natural light. Los Angeles is a typically sunny area, and they would like to take advantage of this natural light through the proper placement and size of exterior windows.
The family has noted they would like the air conditioning system(s) to be able to maintain a space temperature of 75°F in all spaces so that it will be a comfortable environment for the parents and children to live, sleep, and work.
Design Guidelines
Climate and Weather Considerations
Los Angeles, the largest city in California and home to Hollywood, experiences a warm and dry climate year-round, with hot summers and mild winters. Summers in Los Angeles, which last from May to October, are hot and sunny with temperatures often reaching the lower 80s°F (26-28°C) and very little rainfall. Having certain rooms in specific locations is a very important aspect of the building layout, along with window sizes and locations. Keep in mind that building shape and proper orientation can help reduce the energy costs associated with air conditioning the spaces. Show door and window locations in your models.
System Selection and Sizing Guidelines
Note that airflows to spaces and buildings are generally sized based on peak design conditions. A building space gains heat from many different internal and external sources, such as lights, occupants, solar radiation, and the difference in temperature from inside to outside. The sum of all these sources is referred to as the heat gain for the building. In the summer, the peak cooling load is the amount of heat you need to remove from a space on the hottest day of the year to maintain a room’s temperature. Heating and cooling loads are typically expressed in units of measure such as BTU/hour or watts.
While building HVAC systems are designed to operate at peak loads, this typically only occurs for a short period of time for the year, so designers and engineers will include the ability to vary the amount of heating or cooling that is provided at a given time in their designs to improve building energy efficiency. Be creative, consider all owner requirements and how they apply. Be thoughtful of building orientation, equipment placement, and ductwork routing, both supply and return, from a space.
Take into consideration the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), to include, air (IAQ), noise and sound levels in spaces, and daylighting.
Abbreviations and Definitions
The abbreviations and definitions provided below will help you better navigate through the equations and design information provided:
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BTU
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British Thermal Unit: unit of heat defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
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BTU/H
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British Thermal Unit per hour: rate of heat energy over time. HVAC systems are provided with a capacity to add or remove heat in BTU/H.
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CFM
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Cubic Feet Per Minute: unit used to express the volumetric flow rate of air
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Daylighting
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The controlled admission of natural light into a building to reduce electric lighting and save energy as well as increase space IEQ
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ΔT
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ΔT = T1-T2 : the difference in temperature between two surfaces. This could be the inside to outside temperature of the wall, etc.
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IEQ
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Indoor Environmental Quality: conditions related to the health of those who occupy it. Factors include lighting, comfort, air quality, and noise
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IAQ
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Indoor Air Quality: relating to the quantity of pollutants in the air
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LPD
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Lighting Power Density: lighting heat gain per square foot of floor area
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Q
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Heat transfer rate expressed in the unit BTU/H
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RTU
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Rooftop Unit: A packaged air handling unit mounted on a roof which discharges conditioned air directly into the rooms below or through a duct system
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SC
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Shading Coefficient: A measure of thermal performance of the window
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SCL
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Solar Cooling Load Factor: takes into account the project location (latitude) and the window facing direction (North, South, East, West) to better estimate radiant heat gain through a window.
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SF
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Square feet: unit used to express Area
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Ton
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A unit used to express the capacity of cooling a system or equipment can provide.
One Ton is equivalent to the amount of heat required to melt one ton of ice over a period of 24 hours. 1 Ton = 12,000 BTU/H
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U-Factor
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The rate at which a window, door, or skylight conducts non-solar heat flow.
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VAV
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HVAC system that controls the temperature within a space by varying the flow of heated or cooled supply air to the space
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W
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A Watt is a standard unit of power and is the equivalent of one joule per second.
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Design Resources
Using the information below, determine the required air conditioning unit capacity. Refer to the table below listing unit dimensions and supply airflow rates for different capacities. Note that you might want to utilize more than one unit to meet the air conditioning needs. Your model should include the air conditioning unit(s) shown on the roof with the correct physical dimensions, as well as the ductwork necessary to distribute the supply and return air to each area.
Available Air Conditioning Unit Schedule
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Model
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Capacity
(Tons)
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Airflow
(CFM)
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Dimensions: Length x Width x Height
(ft)
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A-012
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1
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400
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3 x 3 x 3
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B-024
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2
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800
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4 x 3 x 3
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A-036
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3
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1,200
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5 x 3 x 3
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B-048
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4
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1,600
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6 x 3 x 3
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C-060
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5
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2,000
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6 x 4 x3
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D-072
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6
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2,400
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7 x 4 x 3
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E-090
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7.5
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3,000
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9 x 5 x 4
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F-120
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10
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4,000
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10 x 5 x 4
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G-150
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12.5
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5,000
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12 x 5 x 4
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Ductwork Sizing Table
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Airflow Range
(CFM)
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Size Options: width x height
(inches)
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0 - 300
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8x8 or 6x10
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301 - 550
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10x10 or 8x12
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551 - 850
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12x12 or 10x14
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851 - 1,300
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14x14 or 12x16 or 10x18
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1,301 - 1,800
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16x16 or 14x18 or 12x16
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1,801 - 2,600
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18x18 or 16x20 or 14x24
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2,601 - 3,200
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20x20 or 18x22 or 16x26 or 14x30
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3,201 - 5,000
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24x24 or 22x26 or 20x30 or 18x34
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Design weather conditions from ASHRAE:
Los Angeles, California (USA) (Los Angeles Intl):83.8°F (28.7°C) outside in summer (Cooling Conditions)
Heat Gain Tables
Sources of heat gain and their respective rates/quantities to utilize for cooling equipment sizing
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Lighting
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Equipment
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People
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Space Type
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LPD
(W/sf)
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Type
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(Watts)
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Activity
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(BTU/H)
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Kitchen
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1.3
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Computer
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135
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Seated
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200
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Bedrooms
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1.0
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Refrigerator |
300
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Living Room
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1.3
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Coffee Maker
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500
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Dining Room
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1.0
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Oven
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1,200
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| Office |
1.1
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Microwave
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600
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Restroom
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0.7
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Dishwasher
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450
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TV
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110
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*Watts per each
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*BTU/H per Person
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Insulation of surfaces:
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Building Component
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U- Value (  )
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SC
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Wall
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0.064
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-
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Roof
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0.039
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-
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Windows
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0.54
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0.23
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Window Surface Cooling Factors in Los Angeles (Latitude 34):
SCLnorth = 36 
SCLeast = 39 SCLsouth = 52 SCLwest = 159
Assumptions
- Assume you need 0.045 cfm per peak BTU/H.
- Assume 400 cfm/ton when sizing the RTU.
Equations
- Don’t forget to include heat gain from lighting, equipment, and people – use the heat gain tables above!
Submission Requirements
Summary of Requirements
- Teams (1 to 5 students)must come up with a unique name for use in replace of “ Home”
- Submit 1 registration per team
- All work must be completed by students 13-18 years of age
- Model must be submitted using the freely available software, SketchUp (www.sketchup.com).
*Your model may be generated in other programs and then imported into SketchUp for final submission.
- The model must be original and not a copy or recreation of any other work.
- Include a disclaimer about accuracy of model to TV show or filling gaps with spaces not on the “show”. Stress that these are inspired by the show, not necessarily a perfect representation.
Submission Deadline
The deadline for submissions is midnight eastern standard time December 30, 2024. The finished model should be downloaded as a .skp file and uploaded along with the student’s information and a brief narrative.
Files for Submission shall include:
- Model to show walls, windows and doors as well as HVAC equipment and ductwork.
- Narrative to include description of the process used to develop the model. Narrative to be 2-4 pages in PDF format.
- Narrative to include appendix with backup calculations used for sizing of equipment. (Appendix do not count against your narrative page limit)
Judging Criteria
- Does the model meet the building owner’s requirements?
- Were any of the additional desires of the building owner addressed?
- What level of modeling skill is demonstrated?
- How creative are the solutions to the various challenges with the building design and layout?
- Does the model represent something that can be realistically constructed (i.e walls, windows, doors)?
Timeline
- Competition opens: August 1, 2024
- Registration deadline: November 30, 2024
- Submission deadline: December 30, 2024
- Winners announced on March 1, 2025 and awards to be send out shortly after
Awards
- 1st place: $1,000, a plaque, and recognition in Insights
- 2nd place: $500, a certificate, and recognition in Insights
- 3rd place: $300, a certificate, and recognition in Insights
The ASHRAE Student Activities Committee will evaluate all entries and select the winners. Awards will be sent to applicable Student Activities RVCs (Regional Vice Chairs) to be presented at their Regional CRC (Chapters Regional Conference) or Chapter meeting.